Gary L. RAVANI

1945 - 2017

RAVANI, Gary L. April 21st, 1945 - November 17th, 2017 Gary Ravani passed away from acute pancreatitis after several weeks in the Intensive Care Unit of Kaiser Permanente. He was preceded in death by his mother Alice and father Leonard Ravani. He is survived by his wife Paula Ravani, brother Daryl Ravani (Gabriella), his sons Matthew Ravani and Andrew Ravani, and grandson Samuel. Gary was born in San Francisco. His family moved to Kentfield, California, when Gary was in the 3rd grade. He graduated from Redwood High School in 1963. He was a proud Vietnam Veteran and served from 1966 to1969. Between January 1968 and January 1969 he was stationed in Pleiku and saw action during the Tet Offensive of 1968. Upon discharge from the Army, Gary enrolled at Sonoma State University where he earned his B.A. After obtaining his teaching credential, Gary taught History, English, and English as a Second Language at Kenilworth Junior High in Petaluma, California for 35 years. During this period he served as President of the Petaluma Federation of Teachers for 19 years. He retired from teaching in 2009 and then served as President of the Early Childhood K-12 Council for the California Federation of Teachers. Following that position, he was elected as a Vice President of the CFT where he served until 2015. Gary dedicated his life to the fervent fight for students and educators. During his tenure as President of the Petaluma Federation of Teachers, he gave a speech at the beginning of each school year in which he informed the teachers of the current political climate of education and always included an amusing anecdote that reinforced and reflected his wry sense of humor. As a husband, father, grandfather and brother, time with his family was a great joy. He was the family chef, providing delicious meals on a daily basis as well as on all special occasions. A voracious reader, he made it impossible for his family to find a book as a gift that he had not already read. He relished his time fishing on Lake Tahoe over the years with his father and sons. He was an avid, lifelong Raiders and San Francisco Giants fan. His wit, knowledge, wisdom, and guidance will be deeply missed by those who knew him and especially his family. We would also like to express our deep appreciation to the nurses and doctors in the ICU at Kaiser San Francisco and Santa Rosa, who worked tirelessly with Gary. A private celebration of his life will be held in the New Year. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution in Gary's honor to the charity of your choice.